We may never know how close the world came to war in 1994, but most accounts suggest the margin was slim. Suspicions about North Korea's nuclear program were at their peak. There were open discussions of a naval quarantine or a pre-emptive strike to eliminate Pyongyang's nuclear facilities and send the regime the message that the world would not tolerate its "rogue" behavior.
Fortunately, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter handled things in his headstrong way, met with North Korea's "Great Leader" Kim Il Sung, and struck a deal. That arrangement, after being fleshed out by U.S. and North Korean diplomats, is now known as the Agreed Framework and has been the subject of controversy ever since. For hawks, it is a bete noir that stayed the military's hand and kept it from ending the North Korean threat -- and maybe overthrowing the regime in Pyongyang. For moderates, it is proof that North Korea is ready to deal -- and can be dealt with.
"Solving the North Korean Puzzle" sides firmly with the moderates. Given the evidence the contributors marshal to make their case, the conclusion seems unavoidable. The editors argue that the Agreed Framework "has frozen North Korea's known nuclear program and thus prevented North Korea from acquiring a large supply of separated plutonium. In this way, the agreement has enabled the U.S. and its allies to avoid costly military steps that would be necessary if North Korea were expanding its nuclear arsenal. It has also provided breathing space to improve the overall relationship through diplomatic engagement."
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